A gas turbine engine generally includes a compressor section, a combustor section, a turbine section and an exhaust section. In operation, the compressor section may induct ambient air and compress it. The compressed air from the compressor section enters one or more combustors in the combustor section. The compressed air is mixed with the fuel in the combustors, and the air-fuel mixture can be burned in the combustors to form a hot working gas. The hot working gas is routed to the turbine section where it is expanded through alternating rows of stationary airfoils and rotating airfoils and used to generate power that can drive a rotor. The expanded gas exiting the turbine section may then be exhausted from the engine via the exhaust section.
The exhaust section of a turbine engine typically includes an exhaust cylinder and an exhaust manifold. During engine operation, hot exhaust gases exiting the turbine section pass through the exhaust cylinder and the exhaust manifold, causing these components to thermally expand in the radial direction. However, the exhaust cylinder and the exhaust manifold may expand at different rates. In some engines, the interface between the exhaust cylinder and the exhaust manifold is rigid at least in the radial direction, thereby inhibiting relative radial movement of these components. Consequently, stresses are placed on the interface, making it susceptible to low cycle fatigue (LCF), which can manifest as cracks, fractures or failures.